The Night I Found You by Noelle Bensen

Published by Autumn Mountain Books November 16, 2021

Genre: Romance, Christian, Family

Pages: 306

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Publisher’s Description

The road to independence is paved with good intentions.

A series of life-changing events forces Gemma Stone to realize how dependent she is on those around her. Lost, alone, and quite desperate, she attempts to put distance between herself and her past. The last place she ever thought she’d find herself is in the wilderness of Vermont.

A devastating snowstorm is the perfect opportunity for Levi Hudson to have a quiet weekend getaway in his remote cabin. His father can’t bother him all the way out here. But a strange sound in the dead of night will put him on a path he never saw coming.

Levi is the only person who can provide Gemma with what she needs. With an offer of marriage on the table—along with a side of squirrel—all of Gemma’s problems could be solved. But what’s in it for him?

Follow their journey in this first installment of the River Haven series from debut author, Noelle Bensen.

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Story Notes

A love story filled with hope, redemption, forgiveness and some swoony kisses, Noelle’s first book will have you adding her to your “auto-buy” author list.

Debut novel – that could be very good or very bad. Thankfully, Noelle invites you to read a debut story that is not only very good but also very engaging. It’s one of those stories you don’t want to end because you have become invested in the characters and are sad to leave them. I had a wonderful time reading this story and might have lost a little of my heart to the fictional Levi, haha! Gemma and Levi are two broken pieces of the same whole and I loved watching them fall in love. Their pasts had jaded them to letting someone else in but when their circumstances brought them together, they found that their chance at love hadn’t been lost forever. Beyond their beautiful relationship, I really liked the rest of the characters. Charlotte was a wonderful friend to Gemma, and helped her along as she worked to be more assertive and purposeful. She listened without judgement and offered sound advice backed by prayer. Thus, she taught Gemma what a real friend looks like – someone who is there for you no matter what happens. Another thing I really liked, and that brought Gemma and Levi together, was their evolving relationships with their respective parents. Gemma had been hovered over and controlled her entire life by her father and that had driven her to run away. Levi, along with Charlotte, was able to help her find her own courage and make important decisions for herself. He was her biggest cheerleader, even if it meant she might not choose him in the end. And Levi’s dad was a bit harsh on him, though he had good intentions. I was glad to see how each of them was able to finally have their voice heard and work through the negativity and assumptions so their relationships could heal. It also gave good backing to the relationship Gemma and Levi were trying to build. I’m so excited to see where Noelle will take this series next. And I just know she will make it just as good or better than this story and I’m totally here for it. Well done, Noelle! This is certainly a story to be proud of publishing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Noelle Bensen via BookFunnel. I am not required by anyone to write a positive review but am most pleased to do so. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.